Will Sing for Cancer Funding: Bev & Bro’s Ballad by Bono
August 22, 2018
The Winning Stretch?! 2 Fundraisers in March 2019
February 24, 2019
Happy Early Autumn 2018! (this was written in Sept-Oct 2018)
I am happy to report that I have a host of good news items to share with you all!!
My integrative cancer doc is streamlining my cancer meds.
Due to financial exigencies, my cancer doctor in California is in the process of pairing down and streamlining the kinds and amounts of cancer meds that I’m taking. This will help me keep going on my program without breaking the bank. I am so excited to hear her suggestions. I’ll share them with you once she shares them with me, probably next newsletter blog.
Diagnostic mammogram in July showed no sign of new growth cancer! Because of this my breast surgeon suggested it was not too early to also address my potential for developing ovarian cancer due to my being BRCA1 positive. (BRCA1 positive people have a genetic mutation creating a greater chance of developing ovarian cancer, especially once they’ve had breast cancer. Very funny, Universe!)
Treating ovarian cancer risk integratively.
After getting three opinions (so far) about whether or not to remove my ovaries and fallopian tubes as a cancer prevention tactic, I’ve decided to stick with the integrative approach. This means no surgery for now. It includes monitoring my CA 125 numbers (a blood test / marker indicating ovarian cancer), getting ultrasounds regularly, staying on a very clean eating program, continuing with nontoxic preventative “chemo” therapies, detoxing and exercising the body regularly, and keeping stress levels low. People who live an integrative lifestyle their whole life tend not to develop new cancers. And I’m a “lifer” for sure!
Shopping for a new gynecological oncology surgeon (gyne-onc for short).
I wanted a different approach to the one my UC ovary-specialist surgeon had. Unfortunately, she’s strictly conventional and I’m mostly integrative, so it wasn’t a good match. I’ll be interviewing new gyne-onc surgeons, with an eye toward finding those with a more integrative-friendly approach. When I find a good match, I’ll let you know.
Physical therapy is going to help me have better cardio and strength training workouts.
I’ve got intermittent pain in my lower back and hip sockets (old injuries from horses and gymnastics), so I’m going to physical therapy in order to heal those so that I can then have better, stronger workouts. Working out is its own cancer-reversing technique. I never thought in my entire life I would say that I enjoy working out, but I have so much more energy and enthusiasm now, it’s as if my arms and legs want to exercise whether my mind wants to or not! I’ve never felt this way. Its like I’m a 35 year old inside a 55 yr old. Crazy, weird, cool.
Back to work! (Temp work anyway.)
Having felt much more energetic lately, (September 2018 onward) I put the word out on my Facebook health page that I was available for any and all kinds of temp work. Whether it be office work, pet care, leadership coaching, care giving, house cleaning, tutoring, or decluttering projects, etc, I’m open for business. And luckily, I got work and lots of it, right away. I’m working for super reasonable minimum wages so that helps me keep employed. Temp work is my short term plan. And all of the money goes back into my cancer healing fund. So it’s all for a good cause. I’m busy and it feels good!
In the long term, I intend to continue my efforts at re-entering leadership development with a focus on youth development at local nonprofits. I will keep my pet care business open as well. Integrative cancer coaching may also be on the horizon for me.
Acupuncture appears to be reducing the size of the benign nodule on my thyroid! Not to mention my chinese doctor is using acupuncture points to treat my cancer as well as the weaker-than-optimal digestive “fire” or chi in my stomach / spleen area. The progress is slow going but that’s intentional, she says, so that the body doesn’t backslide by going too fast. I’m cutting back on acupuncture due to financial concerns, but even at 2x month at 15-20$ a session (with students at Midwest College of Oriental Medicine) is super reasonable and of course, better than nothing.
Psychological and spiritual assistance keeps helping my physical health.
I continue to go to somatic experiencing to help my body stay clean of stress and tension. I continue to see the facilitators of a technique called the living inquiries, which I called spiritual counseling for simplicity. These techniques helps me address whatever issues might be arising repeatedly in my mind and heart which can then have an effect on my emotional and hence physical health. It’s really fantastic. Soon I’ll post the contact info for all these great facilitators for those who are curious.
Coping better with shame, little by little.
Yes, you heard me right. It is wonderful to feel super successful in many areas of my life: my health and longevity, of course, family relationships and healing, personal growth, mental attitude and health, spiritual liberation/ freedom, demonstrating compassion/kindness toward others and myself, even being a better citizen of country and the world, I hope. Yet there’s no doubt about it: not having had as much success in the area of money/career elicits feelings of real embarrassment and shame. I was conditioned into the American socio-economic belief “without status, standing, and appearance, you’re useless.” Perhaps most of us were. And perhaps most of us have also been job-shamed with this same belief at one time or another, no?! So, between my financial and “status” losses during the 2008-2011 recession and now this health crisis, I’ve been feeling like a big fat financial loser lately, especially when I run into old friends and colleagues from my grad school days. Not to mention I made a huge, as in 1000$, mistake in my checking account in August which didn’t help my self esteem any.
Having said that, I’m mostly I’m not a loser of course, especially in the larger scheme of life, the universe and everything. But as I’m sure you can imagine, it is not easy to be poor and feel professionally under-successful at the age of 55. Yet its all too easy to feel apologetic for my lack of material status, and to feel unattractive for it. But since shame has such a weakening effect on one’s immune system and mind, it’s pretty darn important to ferret it out and up and into the light of day where it cannot secretly damage my physical health. That’s the integrative way and I’m grateful to have the courage to face it now.
On deck for this fall and beyond:
My pals and are in talks to have another fundraiser. Last winter’s raised 3000$ and it paid for the cancer treatment called the SOT which is still at work in my blood stream even as we speak.
I need funds for several things.
First, to return to California in December 2018 (or later) for the next cancer stem cell blood test which measures my progress toward remission. Its recommended to get this test once every 3 months for at least a year, that is, 4x a year. I’ve been able to have it once every 6-8 months. It’s better than nothin though! Since its around 900$ for test, doctor appointment, and travel, I have to save roughly 300$ a month to get the test.
Second: in 2019 I will be starting on a CBD THC protocol especially designed for triple negative breast cancer patients. Every TNBC patient interviewed has gone into rapid, long-term remission because of it!!!! And it takes most patients only 2-6 months at 200$ a month to hit remission. Then they keep on a maintenance protocol to maintain remission. Its amazing and relatively inexpensive!
Finally, I need to keep going with the 400$ a month to do my current cancer meds, foods, detoxes, and therapies. I’ve been told that I need to keep going with all these until at least next fall 2019. By then most patients’ bodies have had their immune systems super beefed up and their cells have turned over or been repaired so that the cancer can no longer take root and find a home in their bodies. Your body itself now prevents cancer. Its way cool.
So, on average its a total extra of 900$ a month that my wages don’t yet cover. Hence, another fundraiser.
Just think: a mere 10,800$ and 12 months from now, I could be cancer-free. A cancer reverser, a cancer preventer, permanently. Not a bad price tag compared to the conventional alternative, yes?! (Conventional chemo and radiation costs hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars per patient). And it doesn’t actually work long term.
Well, thanks gang, for reading this extra newsy newsletter. I’m so happy to report how much is going right with life. Here’s hoping that yours is too!
Love and hugs forever,
Bev